Comestible cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning comestibles such as bean sprouts. A rotatable basket having vanes is mounted in a tank. A separating partition in the tank defines a cleaning and refuse removal compartment on one side thereof and a refuse collecting and discharge compartment on the other side. An upright standpipe is located over a drain containing a garbage disposal. The inlet of the standpipe is located so that the basket is only partially filled with water.

United States Patent [191 Leong 1 COMESTIBLE CLEANING APPARATUS [76]inventor: Joseph Wing Leong, 17061 Wausau Ave., South Holland, 111.60473 [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 423,051

[ 51 Sept. so, 1975 3,646,882 3/1972 Keating 99/408 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 9/1932 Germany 134/110 Primary Examiner-Robert L. BleutgeAttorney, Agent, or Firm-John S. Wrona [57] ABSTRACT A cleaningapparatus for cleaning comestibles such as bean sprouts. A rotatablebasket having vanes is mounted in a tank. A separating partition in thetank defines a cleaning and refuse removal compartment on one sidethereof and a refuse collecting and discharge compartment on the otherside. An upright [56] N i i i standpipe is located over a draincontaining a garbage U TA ES A S disposal. The inlet of the standpipe islocated so that 1,462,734 7/1923 Blakeslee 134/183 X the basket is onlypartially filled with waten l,689 868 10/1928 Fink 209/270 X 3.0218643/1962 Ensign 134/115 G 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures if '4 I111" .llllH11 L COMESTIBLE CLEANING APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus for the cleaningand separating the debris from a comestible and more particularly to anapparatus for cleaning bean sprouts and separating the debris and refusetherefrom.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to clean the bean sproutsmanually. Not only is this time consuming but it has become increasinglyexpensive. For this reason efforts have been made to providesubstantially mechanized means for cleaning the bean sprouts. However,these prior mechanized efforts have not been completely successfuleither because of the initial cost, the intricacy of the mechanism orthe tendency to break the bean sprout prior to separating from thedebris. This is particularly undesirable because the comestible sproutportion should be separated with its length intact.

Moreover means must be provided for maintaining the noncomestible refuseseparate from the comestible bean sprout so the refuse may be discardedand the bean sprout recovered.

By the present invention there is provided an apparatus which overcomesthe difficulties encountered heretofore and which is also economical tomanufacture.

This is accomplished by an apparatus comprising generally a tank inwhich a screen tumbler is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis.This tumbler includes a plurality of vanes which are operative tocirculate the bean sprout and the debris or refuse attached throughwater contained in the tank. Means is provided to maintain the water ata level less than the full capacity of the screen tumbler so that thevanes are operative to collect the untreated or uncleaned bean sproutthereon. The uncleaned bean sprouts are then circulated through thewater so that upon being lifted above and returned to the water levelthe undesirable debris and refuse is removed and separated from thesprouts. At the same time the sprouts floating on the water are alsocleaned by the striking and agitating action of the vanes. The debrisand refuse including dirt, and the roots and shells of the bean sproutsare discharged through the openings in the screen while the bean sproutsare retained within the screen tumbler.

The apparatus includes an overflow standpipe within a collecting anddischarge compartment which is removably disposed over a drain having agarbage disposal installed therein. The inlet to the standpipe islocated so that the desired water level is maintained within thetumbler. A screen partitioning wall separates the standpipe from thetumbler and defines a cleaning and refuse removal compartment on oneside thereof and the collecting and discharge compartment on the otherside. As the tumbler rotates, the undesirable debris and refuse arecarried over the upper edge of the screen partition and settle orcollect about the standpipe. Upon removal of the standpipe from thedrain, the debris and refuse are directly discharged in the drain andthrough the garbage disposal. An opening is provided near the base ofthe cleaning and refuse removal compartment and communicates with thecollecting and discharge compartment through an opening in the base ofthe screen partitioning wall. This opening in the screen partitioningwall is normally closed by a closure plate fixed to the overflowstandpipe so that upon removal of the latter from the drain, thecleaning and discharge compartment of the tank may be flushed and refuseremaining directly discharged in the drain and through the garbagedisposal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a beansprout cleaning apparatus incorporating the structure of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a back view taken generally along the lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 4-4 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 5-5 ofFIG. 4,

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,there is shown an apparatus 10 for cleaning bean sprouts. The apparatus10 comprises generally a frame 11, a tank 12, a tumbler or basket 13, afluid supply system 14 for introducing fluid into the tank 12, and afluid and trash discharge arrangement 15.

The frame 11 comprises generally four upright angle iron legs 16 whichmay be suitably braced. The tank 1 1 is made from stainless steel and issuitably permanently attached to the frame 11. The tank 11 includes sidewalls 17, end walls 18, a bottom wall 19, and a partition wall 19a. Thebottom wall 19 is formed with a generally semi-circular wall section 21and a generally flat base section 22. The partition wall 19a extendsupwardly from the bottom wall 19 to the semi-circular wall section 21.Extending upwardly from the inner end of the semi-circular wall section21 and the partition wall 19a is a dividing screen 23 having a mesh withopenings of about one-fourth of an inch square. The screen 23 is alsomade from stainless steel and is permanently fixed to the upper end ofthe semi-circular wall 21 and the side walls 17 of the tank. Thepartition wall 19a and semi-circular wall 21 define a cleaning andrefuse re moval compartment 25 substantially concentric with the tumbler13. The lower portion of the semi-circular wall 21 is provided with adischarge opening 24 which provides communication with a dischargecompartment 26 through a discharge opening 24a in partition wall 19a.

Rotatably mounted between the side walls in suitable journal bearings26a by means of shafts 27 is the tumbler or basket 13. The basket 13 ismade from the wire mesh also of stainless steel and with openings aboutone-fourth inch square. The wire basket 13 includes a door 27a throughwhich the bean sprouts are inserted into the basket 13. The basket 13 islocated substantially concentric with the semi-circular bottom wallsection 21.

A plurality of angularly spaced vanes or fins 28 are fixed to andradially project into the basket 13. The vanes 28 act as agitators andalso as carriers for circulating the bean sprouts through the water toclean the roots and shells from the bean sprouts.

A motor 29, through a gear reduction box 31, belt 32 and pulley 33 fixedto one of the shafts 27 rotates the basket 13. The basket 13 is rotatedat the rate of about 60 revolutions per minute.

The discharge arrangement is located in the collecting and dischargecompartment 26. A drain 34 is located on the base of the collecting anddischarge chamber 26 and includes a garbage disposal 36 through whichthe refuse is discharged. The discharge arrangement includes a standpipe37 having an inlet located at a height at which it is desired tomaintain the water lever in the tank. Preferably the water is maintainedso that approximately three-fourths of the volume of the basket 13 isoccupied.

A rubber gasket 38 is fixed to the base of the standpipe 37 and isforced into sealingly relationship about the drain 34. To this end, thestandpipe 37 is held in alignment with the drain 34 by means off pins orrods 39 which slide through complimentary aligning brackets 41 and 42fastened respectively to the standpipe 37 and the side wall 17. Suitablenuts 42a attached to the upper ends of rods 39 secure the rods inbrackets 41 and 42. An over-center linkage 43 including a bell crank 44is pivotally connected to the side wall by means of a pivot pin 46. Arod 47 extends between a lug 48 fixed to the standpipe 37 and the arm 49of the bell crank 44. In the position shown the bell crank 44 is in anover-center position so as to force the gasket 38 into tight sealingengagement about the drain. Upon rotation of the bell crank 44 out ofthe over-center position the standpipe and the gasket are liftedupwardly so that the water and refuse may be directly discarded throughthe drain 34.

Permanently fixed to the standpipe 37 is a closure plate 51 which in thedrain sealing position of the standpipe 37 serves to seal the dischargeopening 24a in the partition wall 190. However, when the standpipe 37 islifted, the closure plate 51 is displaced away from the opening 24a sothat the cleaning and refuse removal compartment may be flushed.

Water is introduced into the tank by the fluid water supply system 14having an inlet pipe 52 connected to a suitable source of water. Thepipe 52 is connected to a spray pipe 53 which extends lengthwise of thetank 13 along the upper edge thereof. The water inlet pipe 52 isconnected into a solonoid operated valve timer 54 which may be by-passedso that the water may be directly discharged into the lower part of thetank 12 to clear refuse into the drain 34.

A cover 55 is hingedly connected along one side of the tank 14 toenclose the basket during operations. A safety catch may be provided tocut off the water supply and motor when the cover is open.

In operation, the tank is initially filled with water to aboutthree-fourths the capacity of the basket 13. The basket door 27a isopened and the unclean bean sprouts are inserted. The basket door isthen closed and the motor is started to revolve the basket 13 at therate of about 60 revolutions per minute. Water is continuously added tothe tank to maintain a level of about three-fourths the capacity of thebasket 13. During the rotation the bean sprouts either collect in thevanes or are within striking distance thereof so that the agitationaction of the vanes breaks off the shells and roots and other debris.The refuse including the shells and roots passes through the basket 13into the cleaning and refuse removal chamber 25. The majority of therefuse is carried by the water over the top of the screen 23 into thecollecting and discharge compartment 26 and settles or collects aboutstandpipe 37. Some is carried into the inlet end of the dischargestandpipe 37. However, a small residue of the refuse may remain in thecleaning and refuse removal compartment 25 of the tank adjacent thedischarge opening 24. Most of the water carried over the top of thescreen 23 returns to the cleaning and refuse removal compartment 25 byfiltering through the screen 23. When the cleaning cycle is completed,the standpipe 37 is lifted a short distance by turning the bell crank 44so that the water containing the refuse about the standpipe 37 isdischarged directly into the drain and into the now actuated garbagedisposal. The cleaning and refuse removal compartment of the tank may becleaned by by-passing the solonoid timer to directly flush the tankthrough the openings 24, 24a. Thereafter the cleaned sprouts may beremoved from the basket. It has been found that 38 pounds of uncleanedbean sprouts yield about 33 pounds of cleaned sprouts in about 8 to 10minutes with the apparatus of the present invention.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that theinvention is not so limited but that various changes may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning and separating refuse from comestibles suchas bean sprouts, said apparatus comprising a tank, a wire mesh basketrotatably mounted in said tank for rotation about a horizontal axis andadapted to be loaded with said comestible, a drain in said tank,partition means in said tank separating said drain and said basket, astandpipe extending from said drain and having an inlet located at alevel so that said basket is only partially filled with water, saidpartitioning means extending to a height no greater than the level ofsaid inlet of said standpipe.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said standpipe is mountedfor movement between a position sealing said drain and a positionwherein said drain is open so that the water including the refuse may bedischarged directly through said drain.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said partitioning meansincludes a discharge opening and said standpipe includes a closure platefor sealing said discharge opening.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said closure plate isdisplaced from said discharge opening so that the water including therefuse may be discharged directly through said drain.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said upper end of saidpartition means is made from screen material.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said drain comprises agarbage disposal.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank and said basketare made from stainless steel.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank is providedwith a cover.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said cover is providedwith a safety catch.

1. AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING REFUSE FROM COMESTIBLES SUCHAS BEEN SPROUTS SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TANK A WIRE MESH BASKETROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TANK FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS ANDADAPTED TO BE LOADDED WITH SAID COMESTIBLE, A DRAIN IN SAID TANK,PARTITION MEANS IN SAID TANK SEPARATING SAID DRAIN AND SAID BASKET ASTANPIPE EXTENDING FROM SAID DRAIN HAVING AN INLET LOCATED AT A LEVEL SOTHAT SAID BASKET IS ONLY PARTIALLY FILLED WITH WATER, SAID PARTI-
 2. Theinvention as defined in claim 1 wherein said standpipe is mounted formovement between a position sealing said drain and a position whereinsaid drain is open so that the water including the refuse may bedischarged directly through said drain.
 3. The invention as defined inclaim 2 wherein said partitioning means includes a discharge opening andsaid standpipe includes a closure plate for sealing said dischargeopening.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said closureplate is displaced from said discharge opening so that the waterincluding the refuse may be discharged directly through said drain. 5.The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said upper end of saidpartition means is made from screen material.
 6. The invention asdefined in claim 5 wherein said drain comprises a garbage disposal. 7.The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank and said basketare made from stainless steel.
 8. The invention as defined in claim 1wherein said tank is provided with a cover.
 9. The invention as definedin claim 8 wherein said cover is provided with a safety catch.